Friday, December 5, 2008

Article Analysis

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9503EFDE123CF935A25753CIA96E9C8B63&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Again a very standard hard news lede, telling us how daring this Turkish writer was in condemning his country for its oppression of writers and journalists, as he has done in the past. The nut graf also tells us how big a deal it was considering who's company he was in when he blatantly denounced his government for its tyranny. The article goes on to say how the president followed his speech at the biggest event for writers, editors, and publishers of the year, and had nothing to say about the Nobel laureate's criticisms. 
The whole situation and outspokenness of this person is ridiculous. His stance is noble and he seems to get away with it due to the positive attention he brings to Turkish writers. He almost had criminal charges brought against him for "insulting Turkishness" in a 2005 interview when he criticized the government's history of genocide and human rights violations. Some people are still angry at him for this.
Really the article is kind of funny, seeing a high profile writer get in pseudo-trouble for criticizing his government that can't do anything to him that he's criticizing them for because he has too much attention and Turkey is trying to get into the EU. I thought it pertained to class as well. The kicker is a cop-out quote from the president ignoring all of the crap that he was talking right before him.

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